November 2005 Archives

I've been very tardy in blogging for the past several days and have a lot to report.

1. Thanks and congrats to Liz for a fantastic Awards Night for the Equestrian Federation of QLD. Well done my dear! A great night was had by all. And of course it was all the sweeter for me for winning the raffle ticket prize of season tickets to the Queensland Bulls cricket season here in Brissie!!!
2. Thanks to Axel for getting our final chapters and realising the cover image I so love for our book, Uses of Blogs. Thanks also to Gavin Winter for taking such a sensational photo and to Craig Gibbons for securing the (very expensive) microphone for the photographic session.
3. A couple of fantastic articles are about at the moment... one in the Sydney Morning Herald on the future of the internet as a vast synaptic network similar to a human brain. This is an interesting article because it begs the question of whether - as with the human brain - we can hope to maximise the potential of internetworked connectivity if this rather chaotic synaptic network is based on particular thought processes or functions... and it also opens up the possibility of large scale network damage. The second article is from McKinsey on the next revolution in interactions (free registration requried to access the full article). This is effectively the premise behind the work I'm doing at ACID - that the future of sustainable competitive advantage is in maximising the productivity and improving the quality of complex interactions between workers who generally perform tacit interactions. It's a complex notion, but it's the future of business efficiency.
4. A few quick/quirky link-based items: I love the idea of a guy setting up 12 satellite dishes around his house in order to pick up 5000 televison channels, but I worry about his mental health (let alone other potential health problems); I think that wearable technology is beginning to look decidedly uncomfortable; I worry about the potential back and neck injuries that could result from using a chilled pillow; the idea of using shock therapy to reduce bad habits in PC use is just wrong on so many levels; and I was saddened to hear a guru of the Beginnner Book dynasty has passed away - Vale Stan Berenstain!
5. Co-author of a chapter in my book, Douglas Rushkoff, has released the latest of his chapters of his forthcoming book... and this one is closely related to the "discussion" we have in our joint chapter.
6. If you're trying to catch up with me in Brisbane prior to Christmas, you either have to fit in to one of the events I'm attending or I'm afraid I probably won't be able to see you. My calendar between now and the end of January is now pretty much full. I'm absolutely serious about this. I'm not being nasty in saying I'm not available any time you are; I'm just completely booked up. Sorry folks!

Whew! I need to update more often.

Yet another lovely wedding on the Today program on Channel 9 this morning. I got in to work soon after 7am this morning, all set with my croissant and tea to watch the event on the big screen at work. All the very best to Paul and Lisa for their journey together, and for a lifetime of happiness!

And yes, everyone at work rolled their eyes and said "ooooohkaaaaay" when I said I got in early specifically to watch the wedding at work!

Sitting here on 2.5 hours sleep again. I just love insomnia. Mind you, today's effort was probably due to issues that have arisen in the past 24 hours where my integrity has been questioned. I'm not going in to the details, but suffice to say it's not been pleasant.

In other issues, my garage door is now a much more agreeable caramel colour. The blue wasn't a primer (yes Paul, you were right about it being painted), but as soon as the neighbours took one look at the bizarre Aerogard blue for the doors, the freak who had overruled the rest of the block in choosing colours was very quickly rounded up and beaten into submission, whereupon the original (new) colour scheme was restored. For those mildly interested and technologically inclined, the colour scheme is now closest to HTML: #CC9900; RGB: 204,153,0; or CMYK: 20,40,100,0. Now the woodwork and frames are being transformed from Federation Green to the same stone coloured brown.

And finally, thanks to Axel I now have a chunky folder with the entire print out of the Uses of Blogs book :)

YAY! Uses of Blogs, the book that Axel Bruns and I have co-edited, finally goes to the publisher today! :-)

Many thanks to Axel for all his great work, and to our contributors for their efforts!

*spangly things floating across my vision*

Achieved a great deal today. Managed a budget, edited stuff, arranged project management schedule, negotiated processes, set meetings and completed administration of things it would be too complex to try and explain. Ran a couple of teleconferences and did grocery shopping on my way home.

Came home to a blue garage door.

This woud be fine if my garage door was normally blue. But it's normally ochre. So that was a tad disruptive. Nevertheless, to the soundtrack of Clay Shirky's speech in ITConversations (well worth a listen, on ontology and categorisation systems), I entered said blue garage, went upstairs, prepared a meal, ate it and have just now collapsed in front of my PC.

And that's when the floating spangly things began. I'm assuming this is just because I had about an hour's sleep last night. In any case this is prewarning that I plan to sleep tonight. Actually I think even my insomnia is planning on sleeping tonight. So I'm off to watch the idiot box for a couple of hours and then sleep. G'nite all.

A rather noisy thunderstorm at 2:30am woke me and I haven't been able to go back to sleep so here are the fruits of my insomnia...

- Google Analytics: the next product in the suite of Google products, designed to provide consumer traffic habits and website behaviour. Yet another reason why Google Labs rocks.

- Arrest over Brisbane bomb hoax: Yes it was a hoax, and yes they've caught the guy who did it.

- Telstra's revenue: Sol Trujillo admits that Telstra's cable television and directory services represent the company's only sustainable revenue stream

- Business focus for Microsoft: the IT Professionals conference was a forum for raising the profile of the project management and business analysis tool, Dynamics GP.

Now for another snooze!

So I received information today that Brisbane buses and trains had been stopped and evacuated due to a terrorism threat. The Courier Mail at 1:20pm said that:

BUSES, trains and railway stations in Brisbane were evacuated today because of an apparent terrorist threat.
A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said that, acting on police advice, no trains were allowed into the city.
Bus services were also stopped.
Both transport services have since resumed.
After an undisclosed threat, passengers were moved at least 100m away from buses and train stations, and all luggage was removed.
Premier Peter Beattie was expected to make a statement shortly.

I'm cynical enough to believe this was either a hoax or a means of garnering citizen support for the terrorism laws presently facing parliament. Thoughts anyone?

EDIT: I love watching news stories change. At the same address where the above article was sourced (and that was about the 3rd version I'd seen) came several other iterations of the story. Choose the extended entry for all the details.

And for those who may be wondering, I drove to work today, completely coincidentally :)

Okay the good news is I'm no longer in excrutiating pain. For the last few days I've been battling a bad case of back ache, I assume brought on from the fact that I've been getting to work around 7:30am every day and working a minimum of 12 hours per day at my PC, plus another few hours either teaching, doing business or more writing at my computer. When the massage therapist yesterday exclaimed, "I've never seen a woman with this kind of inflammation before in my life", I figured it was bad, and the fact that I had avoided taking any anti-inflammatory medication or even a panadol was probably keeping a rather too-stiff upper lip (let alone stiff upper back). In any case, the massage plus a whole lot of heat therapy seems to have done the trick, and I'm now on the mend. Still a bit sore, but generally getting better.

The other good news is that it's been a decidedly productive week, capped off with a fab couple of nights with my favourite person in the world. Thanks, babe. Sorry I was such a bad hostess with all the pain on Saturday night. Was great to be with you anyway.

The bad news is that I have very little to report. I'm enjoying my job (thanks to ACID!) and my life (thanks to said favourite person!) so all's good. My brother and El are enjoying Europe, my calendar arrived from the Bureau of Meteorology and if I get the final chapter in from contributers to our book, we shall have that to the publishers by Wednesday too. So great news all round :)

Lots of things to remember today .... Rememberance Day, the Dismissal, the hanging of Ned Kelly... each of these events has helped to shape Australian society today. Lest we forget.

But on a more positive note, I'd like to congratulate Jeff Jones, CEO of ACID, for adding to the diversity of this nation, and becoming an Australian citizen last night. Welcome Jeff. In this land you have chosen for your own, may your future be happy, prosperous and peaceful.

*sighs*

It really frustrates me when people make sweeping statements about the relationship between the plight of the rioters in Paris at the moment and the issues about Islamic fundamentalism and the supposed "credible threat" of terrorism facing the world today. Just because the dominant religion of those involved in the street riots in Paris are Muslim does NOT mean this is indicative of the kind of action that will take place in Australia, or indeed anywhere else, in coming days, weeks, months or even years.

First of all, the reasons why these minorities are rioting is because of poverty, rampant unemployment (around 30-40% of young people), prejudice (from the local populace) and alleged police brutality. Time Magazine has a succinct analysis of the situation in Clichy-sous-bois. Algerian immigrants to France have been poorly accommodated by a system which only has the rhetoric of freedom, equality and brotherhood (Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité) and little proof of these ideals. Just because the people involved are Muslims, this is NOT grounds to suspect involvement with a world-wide Islamic terrorism threat.

Besides anything else, these people are FAR too poor to be involved in any such threat. Terrorism isn't so 'grassroots' as the Parisian action has been. It bears far more similarity to the riots at Redfern in Sydney than any serious or credible terrorist threat.

Speaking of which, whilst I certainly do not advocate all commentary therein, the Weekend Australian has a series of interesting articles on the situation arising from the passing of "emergency" terrorism protection laws in Parliament last week. The first article notes a rift forming between police forces and ASIO about the declaration of any supposed terrorism threat, there are stories about increased risks of terrorist action in Indonesia, and there is even an editorial opinion piece about the need for new anti-terrorist laws. But probably the best article of all is in the Feature section from Cameron Stewart, who dares to suggest that Prime Minister Howard had no right to announce any "credible threat" without being specific about those threats. The opportunistic manner in which such annoucements were made to divert attention from Industrial Relations reforms and to push through anti-terrorism laws without Senate debate was, frankly, irresponsible and unjustifiable.

Much like the Iraq War, really.

But that aside, the similarity between Paris riots reporting and anti-terrorism legislation is in terms of mass ignorance. Interpreting the issues in Paris as an archetype for global small scale terrorist actions is completely (and perhaps wilfully) misunderstanding the true issues at play. Similarly, using a sweeping announcement of a possible terrorist threat as grounds to enact legislation against terrorist activities without providing grounds for such laws is a wilfil act of deception, obfuscation, and inveiglement.

But extraordinarily, Howard is once again getting away with it all. I suppose next we will be assuming that arguments at the footy are indicative of future acts of terrorism - if, of course, the dissenters are Muslim.

Just back from the ACID Retreat and back in to technology access... haven't got to many emails, phone messages or other message systems yet, but thank you one and all for the good wishes sent to me from around Australia and indeed the world - particular thanks to Jeremy Williams and to Keneally Harder for their messages from Singapore and the US!

Thanks also to the ACID team for their singing and good wishes today. It ended up being a tiring but productive retreat, and I think we achieved a great deal. But right now I'm looking forward to a weekend with some people who mean a very great deal to me, in celebration of attaining another year!

Just so you all know... over the next few days I won't have technology access while I'm at the ACID Retreat. If you need to contact me, please leave a message with the folk at Cedar Creek Falls Retreat. Otherwise I'll see you all online again on Friday, which, as I have been reminding you all, happens to be my birthday :)

What a race! Makybe Diva, the champion racehorse of our era, has broken so many records with her win at the marvellous Melbourne Cup.

As I had backed her on the TAB, I won a small return on my investment, but I also quadrupled my money on the sweep at the Stamford Plaza hotel, and also won Best Hat of the day! So it was a day of winnings! Much enjoyment was had by all. Thanks to everyone who joined me to celebrate the Cup, and particular thanks to Camilla and Shan for sharing the day with me!